Guard device for railroad-crossings.



I v 0. E. FRANCISCO.

GUARD DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS.

APPLICATION FILED M124, 1912.

1,042, 1 ()2, Patented 0013.22, 1912.

z l r H. 0 U V 40 z 7 1 6 Another object of this device is to, arrange UNITED STATES CHARLES E. FRANCISCO, 0F WOQDSTON, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F FIVE-SIXTHS TO JOHN PATENT orrion.

3 FRANCISCO, WILLIAM E. FRANCISCO, JOHN W. FRANCISCO, ARTHUB A. FRANCISCO, AND CLARA M. FRANCISCO, ALL OF WOODSTON, KANSAS. 7'

GUARD DEVICE FOR RAILROAD-CROSSINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912-.

Application filed February 24, 1912. Serial No. 679,603.

following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw ngs.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in guard devices for-railroad and has for its object to provide a device adapted to be fitted into the s aa between the rail and the crossing bed, where crossings the flanges of the wheels run, to prevent this space from becoming filled with dirt, snow, ice and the like.

the same between the guard rail and the mam rail, so that persons crosslng the track at a switch will not catch their feet betweentheguard rail and the main rail.

Another object of the invention 's to pro vide a device of this character which will ...upper edge possess advantages in points of efiiciency and durability, is inexpensive of manufacture and at the same time is simple in construct-ion and operation. f

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features;

of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view; Fig. '2 is a. sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is. an end elevation; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line H of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 indicates the guard casing which may be secured to the cross ties in anysuitable manner,

ted to abut closely up flange '0 the rail andhavin its disposed under the tread o. the rail, and an outer wall 3 which is of sulficient hei ht so that its upper edge is on a levelwit the top of the tread of the rail 4. The outer wall 3 .is adapted to abut against the snugly a ainst -the crossing bed, which is arran ed etween the track rails and which may e of any well known construction. End walls 5 arelecured to the ends of the a citizen of the United States, residsaid casing comprising an inner wall 2 which lsada side walls, by means of screws (3 to hold said side walls securely in place. 2 p A guard member 7 is slid-ably disposed between the walls 2 and 3, and mounted. on the coil springs 8, said springs having their ,lowerends secured. to the base 9 by means of the staples or clips 10 and their upper ends secured to the under side of the guard guard member 7 and" arranged upon the ends and'fi'sid'e edges thereof, said pins being gslidably arranged in the grooves 12 formed iii-the" side andend walls of the casing -1. This guard member is normally disposed in a position so that the upper face of the guard member is flush with the top of the tread ofthe' rail. The ends of said guard member are beveled off as shown .at 13, so that when the flanges of the wheels strike the guard member it will be easily pressed downwardly and compress the springs "8, said springs forcing the guard member back to its normal'position when the wheelshave passed beyond the ends of the.guard member. Oneside' of the base 9 {is provided with a plurality "of notches 14' member by meansof the staples 10'. Guide. pins 111' are secured to the underside of the.

to-provide for the drainage of water which base being designed coincident with the base flange of the rail. as shown at 15.

The casing 1 may besecured to the rails in'gany desir'ablemanner, but I preferably provide bolts 16 which pass through the web of the rails and through the side wall '2 of "the casing, said bolts having nuts threaded thereon to hold them securely in place. The base. 9 may be secured to the rails in any desired manner, but I preferably provide a flange 17 which-extends beyond the wall 3 .and may be secured to the ties by spikes or other suitable means.

From the above description taken in connection with the drawing, the operation and advantages of my improved guard device will be readily understood. The guard member 7 is-normally disposed so that its upper face is flush with the top of the tread of the rail to prevent any dirt, snow or ice from getting down between the rail and the crossing bed, and when'a train passes-over the crossing, the flanges of the wheel will run on this ard member and press it down onto the springs 8, said springs forcing the meme might get into the casing, theedge of. said her back to its normal position after the train has passed the crossing.

When a joint occurs in the rails at a crossing, I provide a recess 18 on the inner side of the wall 2 to receive the fish plate so the wall 2 will fit snugly against the web of the rail.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying my invention into practice without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from the scope thereof.

It will be understood that various changes in the construction of the device may be made so that the same may be arranged between the main-rail and the guard rail at a switch to prevent any person or animal from getting their feet caught between the main rail and the guard rail.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A guard-for railroad crossings, comprising'a casing arranged between the rails and the opposed edges of the crossing bed, a vertically movable guard member mounted in said casing, said casing having-grooves formed in the side and end walls on the inner face thereof, guide pins carried by said guard member and arranged in said grooves, and coil springs arranged in said casing and bearing against the under side of said guard member. y

2. A guard for railroad crossings comprising a casing arranged betweenthe rails and the opposed edges of. the crossing bed, avertically movable guard member mounted l to the bottom of the guard member on the side and ends thereof and'arranged in said grooves, coil springs arranged in said casin and bearing against the under side of sai guard member to hold it in a normal position.

3. Av guard for railroad crossings comprising a baseadapted to be secured to the ties, side and .end walls securely fastened together, said casing bein arranged between the rails and the opposed edges of the crossing bed, one of said side walls being adapted to abut against the web of the rail and disposed under the tread of the rail, means for securing sa1d side wall to the rail, a vertically movable guard member mounted in said casing and normally disposed so that its upper face is flush with the top of the tread of. the rail, and'coil springsmounted in said casing and bearing against the under side of the guard member to hold it in a normal position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of' two witnesses".

, CHARLES E. FRANCISCO. Witnesses:

T. M. JOHNSON, Mnvr un BRUTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents, Washington, D. G. 

